CIPA: Camera sales continue to grow due to new mirrorless and compact cameras

The latest industry figures from trade body CIPA reveal that more cameras were shipped between January and May 2024 than during the same periods in 2022 and 2023. 

The Camera & Imaging Products Association (CIPA) is an international industry association based in Japan that was originally founded as the Japan Camera Industry Association in 1954. It consists of members engaged in the development, production or sale of imaging related devices including digital cameras.

The current CIPA president Hiroyuki Ikegami is from Nikon, and the Vice President Masato Yamamoto is from Fujifilm. Other members include: Canon; Kenko Tokina; OM Digital Solutions Corporation; Panasonic; Sigma; Sony; Tamron; Hoya; Ricoh; and Seiko Epson.

In addition, supporting members include Adobe; Apple; Brother; Carl Zeiss; Cosina; Huawei; Samsung and Microsoft, so it's fair to say its representative of almost all the major camera manufacturers. 

What the latest CIPA report reveals

The figures published last week reveal that 2.3 million interchangeable lens cameras were shipped so far this year up until the end of May period, which marks a 9.8% increase over the same period in 2023 and an 11.9% rise compared to 2022. 

Furthermore, there were 718,000 cameras with built-in lenses shipped so far this year up until the end of May period, a 7% increase compared to last year, although this is still 4.2% lower than in 2022.

In addition, the value of interchangeable lens camera (ILC) sales grew by 28.6% compared to last year, reaching ¥251.8 billion ($1.6 billion), partly due to the weak Yen boosting the value from overseas sales.

Similarly, the value of fixed-lens camera sales surged by 34.7% to ¥37.6 billion ($233 million), indicating that some of the growth in the compact market is driven by desirable high-value cameras like Fujifilm's X100VI.

As predicted, sales of DSLR cameras has continued to decline, with mirrorless cameras now making up 83.75% of ILC shipments by volume, and 92.9% by value. 

Judging by these graphs, it's interesting to note that sales traditionally peak between September and November. With the high demand for the latest generation of digital cameras, including the Fujifilm X100VI, Nikon Z6 III, and other new products, we may be on track for the strongest sales growth in some time.

To read more CIPA sales data, you can visit its statistics page here.